Nursing Director Denise Root gave a short history of the custom of pinning, starting in the Crusades with the awarding of the Maltese Cross and going to the first modern nurse, Florence Nightingale. Later in the service, after the pinning, Marilyn Tabor led the new RNs in the Nightingale Pledge.

Santana Muniz welcomed the audience. Amy Rose gave the invocation. She later caused some merriment when, in her letter read during her pinning, she gave her permission for her baby to go ahead and come now. Betty Salas was the guest speaker, congratulating the class for sticking it out for that light at the end of the tunnel which is represented by the pinning. Tejana Cox read the personal letters of each student as that student was pinned. Many mentioned the support of their families, their fellow students, the faculty, and especially Kay Mahoney, who was supportive to the last.

A most touching part of the ceremony was the lighting of the lamps. Denise Root started the lighting and the new RNs passed the light down the rows to each other. Genevieve Riedel-Giammo delivered the closing.